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NASA SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Explodes Mid-Flight in Florida

Tragically on Sunday in Cape Canaveral Air Force Station of Florida in less than three minutes after its take off a unmanned SpaceX rocket exploded destroying a cargo ship bound for the International Space Station in the latest in a string of mishaps in supplying the orbiting outpost. Prior to the take off of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, it was a sunny day with a clear sky the 10.21am (1421 GMT).

NASA SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Explodes During Take Off

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, measuring 208-foot-tall (63-meter) has flown successfully 18 times previously since its 2010 debut. During the past few flights and missions of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, it had carried six station cargo runs for NASA under a 15-flight contract worth more than $2 billion. Internet tycoon Elon Musk led SpaceX failed twice previously and failed in an experiment to land the rocket on a platform in the ocean.

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Preliminary investigation has been probed initially while there hasn’t been determined the actual cause of the incident as of now. Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator said “This was a blow to us. We lost a lot of research equipment on this flight.” SpaceX, or Space Exploration Technologies was poised to compete for the first time against United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) and Boeing Co (BA.N) and the current sole launch provider for military and spy satellite launches, to launch a GPS III satellite.

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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lost contact after it took off in two minutes 19 seconds. A huge puff of smoke billowing outward was witnessed in the visuals of live television images from SpaceX’s webcast and NASA television. The visuals also seen by the tiny bits of the rocket falling like confetti against a backdrop of blue sky. An NASA official said it “was a blow to us. We lost a lot of research equipment on this flight” while addressing the media. The spokesperson added further that “At this point it is not clear to the launch team exactly what happened.”

The moment of SpaceX Falcon 9 exploded the commentator of the live streaming said that contact was lost from the unmanned spaceship. NASA Commentator said “There was some kind of anomaly during first stage flight” after observing the spaceship Merlin engine catching fire after reaching the supersonic speed. Internet entrepreneur and founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk mentioning the earlier circumstances of the stage of rocket flight before the cargo ship would have been able to separate from the first stage of the rocket and reach orbit said that Falcon 9 “experienced a problem shortly before first stage shutdown.” Mr. Elon Musk tweeted on twitter as “Will provide more info as soon as we review the data.”

Dragon Cargo Explodes Along with Unmanned Spaceship

California-based company of Elon Musk’s lost its rockets in an explosion in October, and a Russian Progress supply ship was lost in April after executing series of successful launches even as competitor Orbital Sciences. Official sources of the SpaceX claim that Dragon Cargo which exploded out was carrying 4,000 pounds (1,800 kilograms) of gear to the space station. Added to this Dragon cargo ship was also accompanying a large parking space, known as an International Docking Adaptor designed to make it easier for an array of commercial crew spacecraft to dock at the orbiting lab in the future. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield expressed his thoughts over his twitter handle stating that “Very sorry to see @SpaceX launch failure. Serious ramifications for Space Station resupply. Good thing it’s international.”

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SpaceX planned to perform third try at a controlled upright landing of its Falcon 9 rocket on an ocean platform after liftoff with an objective of one-day making rockets as reusable as airplanes. To brief the series of events and the failure of SpaceX Falcon 9 spaceship a press conference was scheduled for 12.30pm (1630 GMT). NASA reported including Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko and American astronaut Scott Kelly there are three men who are currently living at the space station. Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko and American astronaut Scott Kelly began their year-long mission in orbit back in March. American astronaut Scott Kelly tweeted on Twitter as “Sadly failed. Space is hard” attaching a picture of his view of the Florida coast from space.

Space Station commander 57 years old Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka created a new world record becoming the person who has officially spent the longest amount of cumulative time in space. Mr. Gennady Padalka career includes one trip to the Mir Space Station and four to the ISS which turns out to be a part of his long stay of 804 days in the space station. NASA commentator Diller said “Padalka has traveled roughly the equivalent of four trips to Mars during his time aboard the International Space Station.” Considering his long stay at the space station till now Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka had made 12,848 orbits of Earth, for a total distance of 3,39,870,899 miles (546,969,192 kilometers).